He's in good corporate company, of course. Some companies strayed
too far from their expertise (General Electric, RCA and Xerox all failed with computers). Others couldn't overtake the market leader, sometimes with reportedly superior technology (e.g.,
Sony's Betamax against JVC's VHS videocassette format). Some companies overextend with new offerings that don't jibe with their image, says Zain Raj, CEO of Euro RSCG Discovery, which is
why Coors' 1990 foray into bottled water didn't work. And some products, like the Segway, flat out don't live up to their hype. Then there's quality (Ford's Edsel) and/or timing.
Are we ready for 3-D TV, for example?
A nostalgic slide show of the historical losers begins here.
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